Man sentenced in ‘railroad puppies’ case

ALBANY — Admitted animal abuser Anthony Walker was sentenced Tuesday to six months in the county jail for aggravated animal cruelty.

The 30-year-old city resident abandoned three “railroad puppies” on the train tracks at North Pearl Street almost a year ago. The pit bulls were dehydrated, malnourished, hypoglycemic and suffering from infection when they arrived at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society shelter in Menands where they were named Hudson, Pearl and Carina. Hudson received a prosthetic paw. Pearl, who was missing two of her toes, also survived, but their sister, Carina, died within 48 hours of being found by railroad workers near the Ida Yarbrough Homes on Sept. 8, 2012. Walker was arrested Jan. 14.

He pleaded guilty last month in Albany County Court to one felony count under Buster’s Law, which punishes the worst cases of animal abuse with up to two years in prison. Walker’s conviction also covers charges that he abandoned four pit bulls found Jan. 26 in a U-Haul parked outside the Super 8 Motel on Central Avenue in Colonie.

Hudson and Pearl, now about 11 months old, have been adopted as have the four older dogs.

Due to the fact that Anthony Walker has already served 8 months in county jail, he was allowed to walk free after today’s sentencing and will not have to serve any further jail time. Walker was also sentenced to five years of felony probation and will be added to the Albany county animal abuse registry so that he will no longer be able to purchase or adopt a pet in Albany county.

This is the perfect example of why a state wide registry is so important. Please take a few minutes to contact your legislators and urge them to support Bill S02305-A which would create a state wide registry of convicted animal abusers.

For more information on how to get involved and help create stronger laws for animals, please click here.